1. Technical Field
This invention is related to a tongue muscle-strengthening device. The dorsum of tongue does not broadly adhere to the palate through saliva in the rest position due to the weakening of the saliva-mediated adhesion force which is produced between the palate and the dorsum of tongue especially caused by the decreased elevating force of tongue muscles that is present in the oral cavity or to no production of the adhesive force caused by the insufficient elevation of tongue muscles, resulting in no generation of the role of the tongue as an adhesive pad that suspends the mandible to the skull, so-called lingual adhesion. The instability of the mandible to the skull leads to the instability of the head and neck, the instability of the head and neck causes a poor posture, and the instability of the mandible to the skull causes stress-induced disorder associated with the hyperfunction of the masticatory muscle group and tongue muscles in the cervical cortex motor area, as well as the dysfunction and an aesthetic impairment of the mouth. This invention is related to a tongue muscle-strengthening device to actualize this lingual adhesion.
Furthermore, tongue muscles are largely involved in mastication, deglutition and pronunciation, and this invention is related to a tongue muscle-strengthening device for improving these functions.
2. Related Art
In the condition of normal mouth, the following are known in general: the lingual apex is in contact with the maxillary incisive papilla; the dorsum of tongue adheres to the palate; the lips of mouth are closed; and the teeth of the maxilla and mandible are not in contact.
Tongue muscles play an important role in the abovementioned normal mouth. Namely, the tongue functions as an adhesive pad that suspends the mandible to the skull by the broad adhesion of the dorsum of tongue to the palate through saliva, and this lingual adhesion allows the stable suspension of the mandible to the skull without the contraction of masticatory muscles.
The abovementioned condition of stable suspension is a condition in which masticatory muscles that are attached to the mandible show no muscular activity, and the balance of forces in the head and neck occurs centrally to the spinal cord which passes through the great foramen of the skull. Namely, the posture of the head and neck stabilizes against gravidity. The posture of the trunk stabilizes against gravidity in association with it. The mandible stabilizes against gravidity due to this lingual adhesion, which suppresses the hyperfunction of the masticatory muscle group and tongue muscles in the cerebral cortex motor area. Muscular activity is a great stress for the body because it is processed based on information out of the brain. Furthermore, the abovementioned lingual adhesion causes a great reduction in stress for the body because the neurons governing the masticatory muscle group and tongue muscles occupy the large percentage of the cerebral cortex motor area. Tongue muscles require a potent elevating force in this lingual adhesion.
The abovementioned lingual adhesion makes the mouth less prone to open during sleep by minimizing the muscular activity of the orbicular muscles of mouth when closing the mouth and hampers the sinking of the root of tongue into the upper airway during sleep. Therefore, the abovementioned lingual adhesion recovers and prevents sleep apnea syndrome and disorders associated with it.
Furthermore, tongue muscles play an important role in eating activity. Namely, tongue muscles play important roles in all activities of food capture, mastication and deglutition. Especially in the activity of deglutition, tongue muscles form in the palate a food mass which is easily degluted by placing masticated food onto the dorsum of tongue and by elevating the dorsum of tongue and then perform a smooth degluting activity by pressing the dorsum of tongue against the palate at a burst. Tongue muscles require a potent elevating force in this activity of deglutition.
Furthermore, tongue muscles play an important role in expanding the maxillary dental arch. The insufficient expansion of the maxillary dental arch is known as one of the causes for the bad teeth alignment. Namely, the maxillary dental arch is expanded by the application of a potent elevating force laterally to the maxillary teeth row which tongue muscles are in contact at the time of deglutition activity.
The nasal cavities facing the maxillary dental arch also expand simultaneously, which is known to be effective for improving nasal respiration.
Furthermore, tongue muscles play an important role in communications. Namely, tongue muscles are indispensable for pronunciation. Smooth pronunciation is performed by the pliable activity of tongue muscles.
Among dysarthrias, those in the row “ta”—voiceless alveolar plosions among alveolars and those in the row “ra”—alveolar approximants are observed frequently.
Tongue muscles require a potent elevating force in the pronunciation of both the rows “ta” and “ra”.
Especially, dysarthria in the row “ta” is caused by the insufficient elevating force of tongue muscles, and the row “ta” is pronounced by compensatorily inserting the tongue into a space between the maxillary anterior teeth and the mandibular anterior teeth.
In the abovementioned case of dysarthria, so-called open bite occurs because pronunciation is performed by inserting the tongue into a space between the maxillary anterior teeth and the mandibular anterior teeth.
Furthermore, teeth clenching, teeth gnashing and a habit of oral respiration with the constantly open mouth are known to worsen teeth alignment.
Like the invention described in Japanese published unexamined application No. 2006-288953, a device which concurrently strengthens the orbicular muscles of mouth and tongue muscles has been present previously.
The invention described in patent reference 1 concurrently strengthens the orbicular muscles of mouth and tongue muscles. However, the invention was insufficient in strengthening tongue muscles because tongue muscles require a very potent muscular force and the sources of fixation for muscular force in the invention described in patent reference 1 are the orbicular muscles of mouth and anterior teeth. Furthermore, the area of contact of the tongue support piece in the invention described in patent reference 1 occupies a small area in the entire dorsum of tongue. Therefore, the invention was insufficient in strengthening tongue muscles. Furthermore, many devices of the invention described in patent reference 1 were placed out of the oral cavity, and the invention was insufficient in strengthening tongue muscles due to restrictions in place of use, setting time and frequency of use.
Hence, this invention intends to resolve the abovementioned problems. The saliva-mediated adhesive force which is generated between the palate and the dorsum of tongue is strengthened by intensifying the elevating force of tongue muscles through the long-term placement of a strong stable burden on the dorsum of tongue, the dorsum of tongue becomes an adhesive pad for the maxilla in the rest position, and the mandible is suspended to the skull. This invention intends to prevent or recover a poor posture, stress-induced disorder caused by the hyperfunction of the masticatory muscle group and tongue muscles in the cerebral cortex motor area, as well as the dysfunction and an aesthetic impairment of the mouth by means of this lingual adhesion.
Furthermore, this invention is easy to set because it is an intraoral device whose source of fixation is sought in the maxillary teeth row, and allows long-term use and provides good usability.